rock climbing is fun!

So the past week has been a bit epic.  I got some sort of flu/cold that laid me out for a few days.  Unfortunately it occurred at a somewhat inauspicious time-I had a final report due on my trout project in the middle of feeling like poo.  I basically did nothing for three days...and didn't feel too guilty about it.

Yesterday I went up to Donner with Drew.  It was a lovely day, cold but not too cold to climb.  I made Drew lead everything, which he was fine with since he'd never been to Donner before.  I've pretty much done everything there I'm able to do (and a lot of stuff I am not able to do right now), so I was happy to toprope.  Ran a lap on Farewell to Arms, Little Feat, Manic Depression and Bottomless Topless.  I was psyched to do Manic Depression clean second go (once I remembered the beta).  Little Feat was kind of weird...in years past I've always hiked the bottom (a strength move) and thought that the rest (technical) was hard...yesterday I struggled with the bottom and hiked through the rest.  So I guess I'm weaker but a better rock climber.  I think I can live with that.

But it appears that I am paying for my fun yesterday by having my right hand replaced with a prehensile claw.  It is definitely worse today.  Hopefully it will get better in a few days, but I've been saying that for a few weeks now and it seems to steadily be getting worse.  Funny, when I'm climbing I don't notice it.  I guess I just have to climb more.  I find myself making little deals of acceptance with myself.  For example I'll say to myself "if I could just walk normally I would be ok with having a numb hand."  But then of course my leg gets better and my hand gets worse, so I think "well as long as I can use my hand, I don't mind if it's numb" where before any numbness was intolerable.  I guess it could by my mind's way of accepting a new reality in little bite-sized manageable pieces.  Has anyone had a similar experience?

Oh and I'm curious about whether or not I'm being too impatient about an experience I had at the crag yesterday.  I was eating some Clif Shot Blocks, which are basically delicious gummy treats.  I offered one to some people and they said "sure, I'll try one."  or "no I'm good thanks."  Fine.  Then I offer one to the third acquaintance and he looks at me and says "I don't eat food like that."  I look at him blankly and he adds "I only eat food like that if I'm running a marathon or something."  Again, I'm stumped.  He further adds "I like to eat "real" food while I'm climbing"  while making eating gestures with his hands like I don't speak English or something.  I was recounting this to Drew on the drive home, saying that it had grated on my nerves.  Was he trying to tell me I had a bad diet? Did he want me to know that he has a good diet and he runs marathons?  wtf?  Part of me wanted to say "wait! I have a good diet! you should see what I've been eating the last 2 months!!"  But another part of me was like "this is stupid"  I think just said nothing.

Why does this annoy me?  Drew said "yeah...some people always have to volunteer information about themselves.  You know, a 'no thank you' probably would have been fine."  I think he hit the nail no the head.  Does anyone (besides me) think I was just being too sensitive?

Anyway, I was excited to get home and eat last night, but upon having finished my delightful HEALTHY salad, I realized that I had left my wallet in Drew's car.  Shit.  Not only that, but Drew lives in Berkeley, and my gas tank is on empty.  Double shit.  So I called several people, and naturally no one picked up the phone, because in Davis, what you do on weekends is...leave Davis.  Fortunately this morning my good friend Lauren loaned me $40 and I had a nice little trip to Berkeley to get my wallet back.  Phew!